Preview — Cum Laude
by Cecily von Ziegesar

Cum Laude

They're here for a higher education . . .and you won't believe how far they'll go. Dexter College is a small liberal arts college in the quiet town of Home, Maine. But it won't stay quiet for long with this group of freshmen. There's Shipley--blonde and beautiful, the object of envy and more than a little lust. Determined to assert herself and to shed her good-girl image,They're here for a higher education . . .and you won't believe how far they'll go. Dexter College is a small liberal arts college in the quiet town of Home, Maine. But it won't stay quiet for long with this group of freshmen. There's Shipley--blonde and beautiful, the object of envy and more than a little lust. Determined to assert herself and to shed her good-girl image, she buys cigarettes and condoms, because that's what every self-respecting college girl does. Her edgy roommate, Eliza, came to Dexter to get noticed, and she has the attitude and the mouth to prove it. Then there's Tom. Handsome, privileged, used to getting his own way, he's a jock-turned-artist who thinks his paintings will change the world. Sensitive Nick, Tom's wake-and-bake pot-smoking roommate, wants to follow in the footsteps of his boarding-school hero. And then there are brother and sister Adam and Tragedy Gatz. The freckle-faced farm boy lives at home with his parents and his little sister, who does all she can to stop him from being a wuss. As Shipley, Eliza, Tom, Nick, and Adam find out, that first year of college is more than credits and cramming. Between the lust and the love, the secrecy and the scandal, they'll all receive an unexpected education. It's a time of shifting alliances, unrequited crushes, and coming of age. Find Yourself is Dexter's motto. And they are determined to do just that....more

Community Reviews

I heard the Gossip Girl creator wrote an adult novel... I heard wrong. The book's laughably bad. It's inexplicably set in the early 90's, which makes Von Whatever look like she's trying to imitate Prep or The Secret History (far superior books about schools set in New England and adjustment thereto), but there are only enough period details to make it seem stale (Juicyfruit gum! Bill Clinton!), rather than an actual depiction of 1992. VZ took the most annoying characters from Gossip Girl-- let'sI heard the Gossip Girl creator wrote an adult novel... I heard wrong. The book's laughably bad. It's inexplicably set in the early 90's, which makes Von Whatever look like she's trying to imitate Prep or The Secret History (far superior books about schools set in New England and adjustment thereto), but there are only enough period details to make it seem stale (Juicyfruit gum! Bill Clinton!), rather than an actual depiction of 1992. VZ took the most annoying characters from Gossip Girl-- let's call them rich boy that takes too many drugs, blonde rich girl that every (literally every) male character is in love with despite her utter lack of personality, crunchy boy that hates rich boy and is inexplicably hung up on blonde girl, normal boy that does the same, "ugly" and abrasive brunette girl that tries to compete with teh blonde for one boy's attention, and curvy little sister that is annoyingly all up in everyone's business. So Nate, Serena, Dan 1, Dan 2, Vanessa, and Jenny the characters are affected by the tepid torments of un upper class upbringing, and VZ lazily gives the elements of teenage angst (ahhhh, a parent got a boyfriend! Divorce! PRIVATE SCHOOL!), but none of the characters seem to care, so why should we? That's combined with a very lazy Gatsby recreation, but VZ has nowhere near the lyrical prose or storytelling acumen of F. Scott. I actually laughed when it came time for VZ to recreate the great tragedy of Gatsby: (Spoiler, spoiler!) annoying little sister gets shot through the stomach and drags herself through the snow on her hands to be found by some homeless guy. I laughed for days at the thought of some teenage girl in a full length fur coat creeping Samara-style across a quaint college campus.So there's some humor involved, though I don't think it was intentional. Another benefit is that nothing really happens, so you'll read it so fast expecting that something will happen soon that you'll only waste two hours or so on this dreck....more

Reading this book, I can see how my reading tastes have drastically changed over the past few years. This was a huge struggle to get through. None of the characters were likable, there was no moral, no theme, no substance. Gah.

My first ever 1-star rating. I don't even know what I read. I didn't even get it. The plot was nonexistent and I found the characters dull, even when they are high on drugs and alcohol. Wasted my time, I could have read something more worthwhile. Tsk.

I have always been a big fan of the Gossip Girl series of books, so when I read a magazine review revealing Cecily von Ziegesar's so-called 'adult' fiction, I was excited. I went out and bought it immediately, and admittedly, it sat on the shelf for a bit. While I was able to devour this book in less than 24 hours, I found that it was because I was starving for something... unique.

As far as I can tell, von Ziegesar's books all have a common element. They usually depict well-off, ridiculously spoI have always been a big fan of the Gossip Girl series of books, so when I read a magazine review revealing Cecily von Ziegesar's so-called 'adult' fiction, I was excited. I went out and bought it immediately, and admittedly, it sat on the shelf for a bit. While I was able to devour this book in less than 24 hours, I found that it was because I was starving for something... unique.

As far as I can tell, von Ziegesar's books all have a common element. They usually depict well-off, ridiculously spoiled teenagers from Manhattan, all living it up on their parents' black AmEx cards. Cum Laude's cast of characters made me sit and think "Well, hey, haven't I read this before?"

The book jacket describes a review calling this a witty satire, which leaves me wondering... is it only satirical because so few people have these college experiences? While experimenting with drugs and sex is a common theme across the college ideal, the extent of the drama in these books left me feeling out of the loop. I'm not even sure that I know anyone from my own school experiences who went through anything remotely similar like von Ziegesar's cast of characters.

I can honestly say that it's worth 2 1/2 stars, because it was quick and fun to read, but to say anything else about it would be stretching the truth. It was the bare bones of a novel, totally devoid of any real substance or meat. In the end, I think I'll simply stick to re-reading von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl series when I want something juicy....more

Oh, CvZ. What were you thinking with this one? Actually, scratch that. I know exactly what you were thinking. "I can write a novel. I came up with an idea that spawned a bestselling young adult series, and a television show whose popularity strains credulity. I can write a novel." She went to some sort of writers' retreat, set it in 1992 (which is likely around when she herself attended college), and there we have it.

And of course, her agent and publisher were like, "absolutely, sweetie! You soOh, CvZ. What were you thinking with this one? Actually, scratch that. I know exactly what you were thinking. "I can write a novel. I came up with an idea that spawned a bestselling young adult series, and a television show whose popularity strains credulity. I can write a novel." She went to some sort of writers' retreat, set it in 1992 (which is likely around when she herself attended college), and there we have it.

And of course, her agent and publisher were like, "absolutely, sweetie! You so can!" And they accepted all the nonsense with the writers' retreat and whatnot, knowing full well what they were about to do: Package up CvZ's attempt at a serious-ish novel, which appears to have been written possibly for an adult audience (nothing on the jacket says otherwise), and make it look like "here it is folks! The sequel to the Gossip Girl sequel!" I mean they make almost the entire cover a girl's face, and of course not just any girl, but a girl with quite the resemblance to Blake Lively, aka TV's Serena, and they splash copy on it like "graduate to a more sophisticated class of scandal."

Yeah, no, here's the thing about that. This is definitely not the sequel to the sequel of Gossip Girl. My guess is that people reading it expecting that -- which between it being penned by CvZ and between the jacket copy is not honestly that stupid of an expectation -- absolutely freaking hate it. Hence the low average review on goodreads, which I feel like is honestly kind of surprisingly low (let's face it, sometimes I feel like you people will give anything five stars, even books that haven't been released yet).

There are a few problems here. One, it's clearly been totally mismarketed. But two, we have to face facts -- CvZ doesn't really have a novel in her. I mean, this isn't bad, but on the other hand, it's not very good either. It's sort of a junior version of The Rules of Attraction, if we sub in Dexter/Colby for Camden/Bennington, dial back the drug use a hair, and tone down the sexuality quite a bit. The biggest problem with this book was how completely unreal it felt. And not in the Gossip Girl you'll-probably-never-own-a-Birkin sense, but in a she-couldn't-come-up-with-any-details-so-there-are-too-many-blanks-that-never-get-filled sense.

It's weird, because I feel like one of the strengths of Gossip Girl was that you really got a feel for the characters as part of a larger world, particularly in the books where they were at school. In contrast, this book may as well be a play -- you feel like the characters are utterly cut adrift, alone, in empty spaces. You never have a feeling for Dexter as a college (despite all the omniscient chapter intros, which really feel like she's crutching along without the Gossip Girl site as a way in), nor quite frankly for any of the characters as people. Even Shipley, who is basically Serena, and at this point who we can understand as the author's ideal-self stand-in, is sort of a vague shape. As a result, it takes much too long for the reader to become invested in this book in any way.

There were a lot of minor things that bugged me about this one, which, if you read any of my other reviews, won't surprise you at all. The whole "it's 1992" thing gets ridiculous pretty fast -- at first you're just like, "what's with all the cassettes these kids own?", but eventually it gets very heavy-handed with election references, bludgeoning you with the fact that it's 1992. One reason it's confusing that it's 1992 is because they constantly talk about the on-campus Starbucks. Okay, sorry, but no. Yes, there was Starbucks in 1992, but come on. There wasn't even one in Connecticut by that point, and we're supposed to believe there's one in some not-even-one-stoplight town in Maine? I don't think so. I feel like had there been more detail in the book, these would have gotten more lost in the mix for me, but given that the book was so light with any kind of context, these really stuck out and grated.

Long story short, will you like this book if you liked Gossip Girl? I'm gonna say no, unless you like guessing which one of the characters in this book is a stand in for which characters in GG (hint: It's not hard). Will you like this book if you liked The Rules of Attraction? Maybe, but you'll probably find it kind of boring. Will you like this book if, like me, you'll give anything that takes place at a small New England liberal arts college a go? Eh, you'll tolerate it okay. I think the ideal audience for this book is probably the three people who liked the Upper Class series (which I just bought the last one in for $1 on clearance at a Half-Price Books in Tempe). So hey, three people who wrote the Upper Class books (yep, it took three authors to dredge up those bad boys) -- this one's for you.

P.S.: Seriously, the back cover says, "They're here for a higher education... and you won't believe how far they'll go." I mean really, does it get cheesier than that? Clearly CvZ has the clout to get to try her hand at a novel, but not to control how her work gets foisted upon the world....more

Fav quote: "To her surprise, college was even lonelier than high schol. At least in high school she had her parents to blame for the lousy state of things. It seemed that at college you had to be in love not to be lonely." Eliza, pg. 89. Well that's a ringing endorsement for college social life

I read this book in about 1 hr or 2, I honestly don't know what happened or why or who the characters were. I picked this book up because I wanted something set in college, but not too serious. I liked thFav quote: "To her surprise, college was even lonelier than high schol. At least in high school she had her parents to blame for the lousy state of things. It seemed that at college you had to be in love not to be lonely." Eliza, pg. 89. Well that's a ringing endorsement for college social life

I read this book in about 1 hr or 2, I honestly don't know what happened or why or who the characters were. I picked this book up because I wanted something set in college, but not too serious. I liked the Gossip Girl series so I was optimistic about Cum Laude. It felt like the author tried to think of the most outrageous scenarios ever, combined with the oddest group of college freshmen (people would say "messed up" but to me that implies the kids are interesting, these characters were not) and yet the whole book is boring. I don't know why the author decided to set the book in 1992, it seemed really random, the only explanation I can think of is that must be when she was in college herself. But the references to 1992 did seem to fit naturally to me, except for the election bits. I didn't recognize any of the artists she was talking about but then again the music from the '90s I listen to now is boy bands, pop and hip-hop, not Grateful Dead and whatever else punk rock band she referenced.

The characters had no personality. Tom was slightly interesting and Tragedy was cool but everyone else was BLAH. Obviously Shipley (I kept wanting to call her Shapely, lol) is so appealing to all the guys because she's supposed to be beautiful but jeez she had no character whatsoever. She wasn't mean, she wasn't super sweet, she was just....there. A ridiculous ending was fitting. I do think the author did a nice job in making Dexter College seem like it could be any liberal-arts small college (not that I would know what that's like since I'm going to a research school and I'm not even there yet..) so it didn't seem too random or too specific. I also liked the college advice/thoughts on college life thrown in there but anyone in college/past college will probably find them annoying and they were awkwardly thrown in and rang preachy. I wish more time had been spent focusing on the characters club activities or jobs or even their classes, SOMETHING besides.....I don't even know what else they were doing. Drugs, having sex, talking about nothing in particular. That's all good and well but this book needed more than that. If humor had been thrown in, this book would have been good. As it is, simply decent.

Anyone know if theres going to be a sequel? There seemed to be room for one...and I could be tempted to pick it up just because I do like this author and maybe these books could get better.

Cum Laude is by the same author who writes the Gossip Girl books, so I thought when I picked this up, it would be "Gossip Girl goes to college."

However, I had no idea that not only is Cum Laude not really a YA novel, it's a--get this-- satire of teenagers.

The only good thing I have to say about this book is that it has a great cover, not representative of the book but still, and the page layout is gorgeous. Okay, maybe not the only goodOriginal review at http://reutreads.wordpress.com/2011/0...

Cum Laude is by the same author who writes the Gossip Girl books, so I thought when I picked this up, it would be "Gossip Girl goes to college."

However, I had no idea that not only is Cum Laude not really a YA novel, it's a--get this-- satire of teenagers.

The only good thing I have to say about this book is that it has a great cover, not representative of the book but still, and the page layout is gorgeous. Okay, maybe not the only good thing.

The thing here is that because I am a young adult, I felt two things during reading this book. One was the need to defend myself. Shipley and company get into all these ridiculous situations and react in the STUPIDEST ways, and I really felt a bit angry with the author for portraying college teens in such a terrible way. "Hey, not all teens are like this, Cecily!"

Then, when I realized it was a satire, I felt a bit more comfortable. I was able to laugh at the ridiculousness, and then it kind of, sort of stopped being mean and got a bit funny.

The only thing I really need to criticize is the setting of the book. It's told in the 90's, and honestly, I didn't get that at all. I only *got it* when the characters talked about voting for Bill Clinton-in the middle of the book. Before, I had no idea. Why not make that clear, Cecily?

So you decide, dear readers. Did I react appropriately, or should I have known all along I was being made fun of, and gone along with it?...more

It was a good book for the price I payed!!!...which was 5 dollars :/ but I actually quite enjoyed the story line and the writing, although I was always looking for something more, you know? Like that moment in the story where you close your eyes, drop the book and say out loud so that everyone can hear "did that just b*%ping happen?!?" I guess it was missing a little excitement or MAJOR event. :) :/ but still pretty good!

I picked this up to support Cecily von Ziegesar- the writer of the immensely popular Gossip Girl series. Plus I'd actually met her in a book signing and made it a personal goal to support writers like her. She was nice to me and talked with me for a good ten minutes.

That being said, this book is boring and I didn't care about any of the characters, which by the way, are hollow, uninteresting shells of characters she'd previously dreamed up in the Gossip Girl series. This*This contains spoilers

I picked this up to support Cecily von Ziegesar- the writer of the immensely popular Gossip Girl series. Plus I'd actually met her in a book signing and made it a personal goal to support writers like her. She was nice to me and talked with me for a good ten minutes.

That being said, this book is boring and I didn't care about any of the characters, which by the way, are hollow, uninteresting shells of characters she'd previously dreamed up in the Gossip Girl series. This is a book for girls who wonder what an idealized college experience would be like. If you know you're not going to college, read this. It'll help you "experience" an elaborated fantasy of what well-to-do white kids do when they pursue a higher education. But if you're like me, who went to college for an education and studied at home while the rest of your classmates partied and procrastinated, this book is a satire at best. It's boring but well-written. I'll never say von Ziegesar can't write, because she can and quite beautifully when she wants to. But this was a waste of my time and I'll stick to the crazy world of Gossip Girl. Even her It Girl series is okay.

The characters in this book are all stupid adults who manage, miraculously, to get accepted into a college and discover that being on your own means you can get stoned, take E, and have sex. Omigosh, college is so much FUN!! I haz to studee for my x-am, LOLZ!!!!!

I guess I'm meant to fall in love with Shipley Gilbert, the novel's main character. Shipley is said to be the most beautiful girl on campus and we're given no details on why we're supposed to like her. She cheats on her boyfriend, starts smoking because she feels like it, and distractedly writes a poem her professor happens to like. She later on muses that she should become a poet. Great idea, sweetheart. I'd love to read the profound stanzas your beer-infested brain managed to direct your hands to write with crayon.

Oh, she also steals the campus van to try to find Dunkin Donuts on orientation night. Dexter College must be so proud of it's newest recruits.

Anyway, the pack of "friends" Shipley aligns herself with are a pack of winners themselves. Eliza is obviously meant to be the rebel in the college because she has black hair and wears black cutoffs. Nick is the hippie stoner and Tom is the preppy jock turned "artist" once he takes some E. Oh yeah, and Shipley's brother is homeless who steals things and stays around Dexter year round, despite it being in Maine. Yes. He chooses to stay in Maine year round, even with the frosty temperatures and his lack of a home of any kind. The guy is smart enough to forge Shipley's signature when she leaves him her mommy's credit card and her posh car's keys. He of course steals the car and asks for winter clothing.

I'm giving this book two stars because it's well-written even though it's dull and lacks depth. Plus I gave Divergent two stars, and Divergent is way worse. I would read this over Divergent, but that's not really a compliment in any sense.

I hope her characters in this book all fail their midterms and end up pumping my gas. ...more

This was an interesting book with a strange cast of characters. I feel like the author split her attention among the many characters too much and that left the book a little shallow. It was a good commentary on the time and place and culture but I just didn't connect to the story.

Half way through with this book so far and it is terrible! There are 6 main characters, a hippy rebel, a shy nerd, a stupid blonde prep, an annoying jock, a dark and gothic girl, and a druggie. I don't think I have ever read a more unoriginal book in my life. None of the characters have any depth to them. The only way you can even tell that the characters are different from one another is when the author describes what they look like, other than that they're all sarcastic assholes and pretty mucHalf way through with this book so far and it is terrible! There are 6 main characters, a hippy rebel, a shy nerd, a stupid blonde prep, an annoying jock, a dark and gothic girl, and a druggie. I don't think I have ever read a more unoriginal book in my life. None of the characters have any depth to them. The only way you can even tell that the characters are different from one another is when the author describes what they look like, other than that they're all sarcastic assholes and pretty much say the same things. It's also very unrealistic. It's not even close to an actual college experience. Every guy in the book likes the same girl, the same girl who is a stupid blonde who smokes and acts like a troubled teenager even though she has guys falling all over her. I hate writing a bad review, especially when I know some one is a good author, but this is just bad. ...more

I’m a bit torn on what rating I’d like to give this novel because I feel as though I am judging it a bit too harshly. So, let's consider it a 2.5 rating from me, shall we?

Cum Laude is meant to be the first adult novel that Cecily has done but it reads far too similar to her young adult style of writing we come to find in the Gossip Girl book series. It’s shaky, at best. But the story itself is by no means the worst thiFull review/potential spoilers alert: http://bookgirl.co.vu/post/7648934458...

I’m a bit torn on what rating I’d like to give this novel because I feel as though I am judging it a bit too harshly. So, let's consider it a 2.5 rating from me, shall we?

Cum Laude is meant to be the first adult novel that Cecily has done but it reads far too similar to her young adult style of writing we come to find in the Gossip Girl book series. It’s shaky, at best. But the story itself is by no means the worst thing I’ve ever read, so perhaps my rating of two stars will raise to three. I’m unsure.

Off that note, I’ve been a fan of Cecily for years and years. Aside from Harry Potter, and more recently the Hunger Games and the Darkest Minds, I’ve never really had a big obsession with a series of books like I did with Gossip Girl and its spin-off series The It Girl. I can proudly say that she is one of the authors that not only got me reading, but she also got me writing.

So, I was very disappointed in her first attempt at writing a novel targeted towards adults. It genuinely felt like another version of Gossip Girl, only it lacked the charm and juicy secrets that GG gave. If you're looking for something light and brainless to read, however, I do recommend this to you -- perhaps, you'll have better luck in reading it than I did. Cheers!...more

Cum Laude is the first book I read that is written by Cecily von Ziegesar. Shocking right? I mean I am a massive fan of the TV show Gossip Girl, but never read a Gossip Girl book. So when I found out that Cecily von Ziegesar written this book I knew I had to buy a copy of it.

The characters were interesting. They all had their own secrets and insecurities to hide. There wasn’t any depth to any of these characters, but there wasn’t any need for it. I couldn’t relate to the characters, but I couldCum Laude is the first book I read that is written by Cecily von Ziegesar. Shocking right? I mean I am a massive fan of the TV show Gossip Girl, but never read a Gossip Girl book. So when I found out that Cecily von Ziegesar written this book I knew I had to buy a copy of it.

The characters were interesting. They all had their own secrets and insecurities to hide. There wasn’t any depth to any of these characters, but there wasn’t any need for it. I couldn’t relate to the characters, but I could relate to the experience they had with their first year of college. The late night cramming sessions at the library, going to Starbucks to get loads of coffee to feel awake in the mornings and not knowing where this will all lead.

I liked the plot a lot. It wasn’t full of drama like the Gossip Girl show, but there was still enough to keep me entertained. Every little thing that happened to these characters was fabulous to read about and at the end there even was a bit of suspense.

Cum Laude won’t be the first and last book I read written by this author. I’m curious to find out more about these characters and what will happen to them when they are in their second year of college....more

This is my first von Ziegesar novel. I've never read any of her Gossip Girl series and I thought it would be fun to start with something adult and then make my way to some of her YA books. I thought wrong. I personally did not like this book and therefore now really have no want to read anything else by her. By reading the synopsis of the book you can only describe it as promising. I mean, yea, I like reading books about kids in college. The drinking, the parties, the sex, the "finding yourself"This is my first von Ziegesar novel. I've never read any of her Gossip Girl series and I thought it would be fun to start with something adult and then make my way to some of her YA books. I thought wrong. I personally did not like this book and therefore now really have no want to read anything else by her. By reading the synopsis of the book you can only describe it as promising. I mean, yea, I like reading books about kids in college. The drinking, the parties, the sex, the "finding yourself" moments, all sorts of new friendships and in's and out's of relationships. I definitely like reading about all these things and finding a book that encompasses all these topics is really a plus for me. I truly found the depictions of these events to be realistic. There were also some funny moments scattered throughout - although they were rare.

What I did find odd was that the book was set in the 90's. The mentioning of the walkman's and CD players, President Clinton, etc. were all accurate. But there was the mention of a Starbucks on campus that I think might be off in time frame - especially since the school is out in the sticks somewhere in Maine. And like this there were other minor discrepancies that I also caught. Nothing overly horrendous, but definitely enough to peeve my analness when it comes to accurate facts.In the end, I just felt like I couldn't connect with the characters. They were too cliche. Everything was too expected. From what I've read, this will be part of a three book series - although it reads perfectly as a stand alone. Sadly I think I will refrain from reading the rest.

This might work for fans of Ms. von Ziegesar - especially those who have grown up reading her Gossip Girl series and are now in college. It just didn't work for me....more

I know and I realize that I read a lot of fantasy books, that to some extent some people would say that it’s already too much. And so, for a variation, I picked this one out. One of the reason is because of the author. I love The Gossip Girls series. I really do. And another reason is, I was curious about a university life in the USA. Meh. What a disappointment. I can hardly finish it.The story was about 4 young people going to Dexter, to finally experience the college life by themselves. Oh myI know and I realize that I read a lot of fantasy books, that to some extent some people would say that it’s already too much. And so, for a variation, I picked this one out. One of the reason is because of the author. I love The Gossip Girls series. I really do. And another reason is, I was curious about a university life in the USA. Meh. What a disappointment. I can hardly finish it.The story was about 4 young people going to Dexter, to finally experience the college life by themselves. Oh my God I can’t even remember their names! Okay, let’s have a peek at the book.....Okay, so there was Shipley, young and beautiful and rich, and, then there was Eliza, the rebellious one, and we also have Nick and Tom and Adam.

Well, it looks like they were pretty surprised to see that college life are differents, that time changes and so does people, and there are people living with different lifestyle than themselves. Shipley tried smoking, Tom tried drugs and inhaling ethers, Eliza got a job as a model for the art class, Nick built a yurt (some kind of a tent?), and Adam tried to do some naughty things. They went all around, complaining and whining about how miserable life is at the college, swearing to each other, hating and being suspicious at each other. And BAM! The books finished.

If college is something like what was being described in this book, don’t bother go to college. Thank God that it was not. Or was it? ...more

Cum laude is the first book I’ve read by Cecily Von Ziegesar and it’s a fun read, although in terms of coming of age tales it’s pretty formulaic and nothing you haven’t read before. That said, I found it pretty compulsive reading, and it made me want to read more from Von Ziegesar. This is a wild ride through college life with a very interesting cast of characters, to say the least.

All your coming of age stalwarts are present and correct in this book. There’s Shipley, who is Serena Van Der WoodsCum laude is the first book I’ve read by Cecily Von Ziegesar and it’s a fun read, although in terms of coming of age tales it’s pretty formulaic and nothing you haven’t read before. That said, I found it pretty compulsive reading, and it made me want to read more from Von Ziegesar. This is a wild ride through college life with a very interesting cast of characters, to say the least.

All your coming of age stalwarts are present and correct in this book. There’s Shipley, who is Serena Van Der Woodsen in her ability to make men fall at her feet, although she’s more wholesome than Serena ever was, and you never see her in a knockout bodycon number. Her roommate Eliza is her necessary coming of age contrast character - dark and edgy, complete with a permanent sneer. Underneath her tough exterior though, she just wants to be loved. Then there’s the boys. For me, the boys were a bit of a letdown here. Tom the jock, and Nick, the hippy stoner are really nothing to write home about. Two of my favourite characters were Adam and his sister, Tragedy. Yes, you heard right, her name is Tragedy. She was named after the Bee Gee’s song of the same name. That's just one example of the great humour in the book. Tragedy deserves her own spin-off series, for sure. Adam isn't as fun a character as his sister, but he is deep and sensitive, the polar opposite of Tom, and necessary for our fun love triangle. I’m a big fan of these love triangles, you know.

I should point out that this novel was written for an adult audience, but honestly, while it does contain themes of sex and drugs, nothing is overly graphic, and I think this one will appeal to older teens who want to find out all about just how much fun college can be! Other than the keg parties, and experimentation with sex and drugs, not a whole lot goes on in this book. It’s fun, nonetheless, and the characters embark on the necessary journeys of self-discovery throughout the book. There is a subplot involving Shipley’s missing brother “Pink Patrick”, but it’s no mystery to us, and this wasn’t my favourite part of the book, although if the series continues, things could get interesting between him and Tragedy.

When I read the novel, I believed it to be a standalone, and it’s works just fine as that, but having read a couple of interviews with Von Ziegesar, I understand she’s planning to make a three book series out of this, which possible explains why the book is set in the nineties. Maybe we’ll get to follow these guys through their college years. I’ll certainly be along for the ride!...more

I am sorry to say that I really did not like this book at all...I was a gossip girl fan and indulge in the show on the cw as a guilty pleasure if you will and have marked to read the gossip girl and it girl series...Now I'm worried that they will be similar to this, but, on a ya level.

I was so excited when I first recieved this book, I loved the cover and it immediately said read me...And I can not resist a book that calls to me that's how I read...the books pick me I do not pick them...

It starI am sorry to say that I really did not like this book at all...I was a gossip girl fan and indulge in the show on the cw as a guilty pleasure if you will and have marked to read the gossip girl and it girl series...Now I'm worried that they will be similar to this, but, on a ya level.

I was so excited when I first recieved this book, I loved the cover and it immediately said read me...And I can not resist a book that calls to me that's how I read...the books pick me I do not pick them...

It started off ok...It centers around four characters two girls, two boys who are just starting college in a small town...There's Shipley, the gorgeous blond that sends tongues waging wherever she goes but decides that after being a good girl all of her life she was to be bad...And there's Eliza the room mate who's in your face cocky and snarky...Basically the two girls are like night and day...Shipley represents everything Eliza hates about girl like that...the perfect, tanned, blond, and gorgeous...Then there's Tom the classic jack-ass jock who head is bigger than most other body parts and is still trying to adjust to his surroundings in a small town at such a small college however shipley definately catches his eye and not just his...His roomate Nick falls for her as well in the beginning thinking she is perfect etc...And then there's adam the local who is terrified of what's to come upon him starting college...No surprize here he's completely infatuated with Shipley as well...And in true story book fashion Shipley of course is attracted to the jock, Tom...There are various other characters that come into play, such as the mysterious older brother of Shipley, adam's younger sister, and professors mixed and intermingling with the students...This all sounds like it's going to be this really awesome book right...I know I thought so too before I started reading it...But,I was wrong...I made a notation yesterday that I was thinking about shelving it as stopped reading because the book just lost me...And I found myself not even caring what happened to the characters...But, I managed to force myself to finish it despite my misgivings...I didn't like the ending either...I'm not sure if this is meant to be the beginning of a new series for Cecily von Ziegesar for adults or what, but, I would have to think long and hard if I would read the sequel...knowing me even though I didn't like this book I would still probably peep at the sequel if she's intends to write one and I'm still going to try to read both the gossip girl series and the it girl series...idk...would I recommend this for other readers...I would say if you like a book about a bunch of confused kds and a bunch of making out, getting fried, sex, alcohal, and mayble a hint of studying in there then this book is definately for you...I still think that the cover art was beautiful though and I wonder is the cover model supposed to ne the character Shipley... ...more

I'm giving this book two stars, and that is being very, very generous. I'm basing my rating on storyline only because to be honest, this book was badly written. And this was not Gossip Girl bad (totally trashy and you can't help but love it). This was just bad and the only reason she got it published was because of the status she obtained by writing Gossip Girl.

The soryline was okay. I mean, it didn't really go anywhere and it didn't really follow what was said on the book jacket. Well, I guessI'm giving this book two stars, and that is being very, very generous. I'm basing my rating on storyline only because to be honest, this book was badly written. And this was not Gossip Girl bad (totally trashy and you can't help but love it). This was just bad and the only reason she got it published was because of the status she obtained by writing Gossip Girl.

The soryline was okay. I mean, it didn't really go anywhere and it didn't really follow what was said on the book jacket. Well, I guess it was kind of like the book jacket, but it was rushed and it didn't really give you the full college expereince, which was what you thought you were going to read when you picked up this book.

And I couldn't really feel the characters like I did with Gossip Girl and the It Girl (although she didn't write that, did she). She told us who the characters were, but she didn't really show us so it didn't feel too real for me.

She does scratch the surface of some of the stuff that goes on in college, but she mainly focused on the personal lives of the characters, but didn't associate it with being in college and trying to find yourself. She was kind of trying to hard to put the college experience together, but at the same time it felt like she was rushing to meet a deadline.

It was really disappointing book. I was actaully excited for it because I haven't read any novels talking about the college expereince and I wanted to see how a book like that would go, so this was a major disappoinment. Especially with all the praise she got from writing Gossip Girl and creating the It Girl. This book is not worthy of chick-lit or deliciously trashy reads. It was just bad, plain and simple. ...more

Okay, so when I saw the book in Chapters one day I nearly lost my breath I was so shocked. I hadn't even heard of the book and since my other favourite series by her, It Girl, came to a end I have to say I was scavenging for something Cecily Style to read. So on impulse I shed like 25 bucks for the hardcover book thinking it'd live up to my expectations.

It crashed. Hard. Like I'm still trying to get over how much I hated the book without giving the whole book away. Shipley is kind of typical. GoOkay, so when I saw the book in Chapters one day I nearly lost my breath I was so shocked. I hadn't even heard of the book and since my other favourite series by her, It Girl, came to a end I have to say I was scavenging for something Cecily Style to read. So on impulse I shed like 25 bucks for the hardcover book thinking it'd live up to my expectations.

It crashed. Hard. Like I'm still trying to get over how much I hated the book without giving the whole book away. Shipley is kind of typical. Gorgeous, thin, blonde, and rich. She's also a virgin. She's arrived at Dexter College, the school her brother once attended before supposedly disappearing off the face of the earth. Why she's there, I still kind of don't understand except that it might be some kind of rebellion against her seemingly absent parents. She's also picked up a attractive habit of smoking. So fash forward a bit so I don't rambleon. Shipley meets her eccentric but slightly ammusing roommate Eliza, her boyfriend whom she falls in love with at first sight, Tom, the allergenic pothead Nick who is Tom's roommate, and later meets unrelated brother and sister Adam and Tragedy. Eliza begins a secret jealous-i-hate-her relationship with Shipley and i don't blame her. She's quite the opposite of Shipley. Not rich, not blonde, and not a boy-magnet. This brings me to one of the things I hated most about Shipley and the book. I thought I was doing an 'Eliza' and just being uncertifiably jealous after my first encounter with Shipley. It seemed like every guy that laid her eyes on Shipley had fallen in love with her. But as the book progressed my feelings didn't change. Only intensified until halfway into the book when I almost abandoned the book. Naturally I couldn't so I trudged on and tried not to get angry that she was being a sneaky two-timer. Erg, that part made me mad.I'm not going to continue summarizing the book but say that I didn't like the book, I'm thoroughly disappointed, and I'm angry that I spent so much on a book that I didn't like. ...more

KayseyI kinda wanna abandon the book I'm not even halfway in and I'm already bored. Not good. I'm really pissed of with Shipley and much like her roommate II kinda wanna abandon the book I'm not even halfway in and I'm already bored. Not good. I'm really pissed of with Shipley and much like her roommate I keep having the urge to slap her upside the head....more
Jul 29, 2010 06:40AM

Well, I really was very excited for this book because I’m a huge von Ziegesar fan. I adored the Gossip Girl series and I enjoyed reading The It Girl series, as well. Cecily von Ziegesar’s stories of the wealthy and privileged usually draws me right in, but this story did not have the same effect.

In Cum Laude, von Ziegesar’s first book for adults, we are introduced to the beautiful Shipley who is off to college. We then meet two guys who are completely obsessed with Shipley, one a preppy rich guyWell, I really was very excited for this book because I’m a huge von Ziegesar fan. I adored the Gossip Girl series and I enjoyed reading The It Girl series, as well. Cecily von Ziegesar’s stories of the wealthy and privileged usually draws me right in, but this story did not have the same effect.

In Cum Laude, von Ziegesar’s first book for adults, we are introduced to the beautiful Shipley who is off to college. We then meet two guys who are completely obsessed with Shipley, one a preppy rich guy and the other a more hippy rough and tumble sort of guy. We are also introduced to Shipley’s eccentric roommate Eliza.

This story supposedly chronicles these different students’ first semester of college. I forced myself to read to page 100 before finally giving up, but up until that point, nothing much had happened that made me want to read on. Instead of having a major conflict, or a few conflicts, this story was more of a ‘day in the life’ of these college freshman, living out a pretty normal life.

I checked a few other reviews of people who read the book all the way through and it seems like we all had similar reactions…this one is, unfortunately, boring.

If you’re also a von Ziegesar fan, I’d love to hear your take on this book versus her other books!...more

As I'm trying to challenge myself to read 150 books this year, particularly books I might not have otherwise read, I made a resolution to finish what I start by not dropping any book once I've read the first page. I didn't think my resolve would be tested so soon!

I was really fond of the Gossip Girl and It Girl series' so when I heard about this book I thought 'this could be interesting' and picked up. Boring plots with boring characters - I series doubt I need to say anything more than that (alAs I'm trying to challenge myself to read 150 books this year, particularly books I might not have otherwise read, I made a resolution to finish what I start by not dropping any book once I've read the first page. I didn't think my resolve would be tested so soon!

I was really fond of the Gossip Girl and It Girl series' so when I heard about this book I thought 'this could be interesting' and picked up. Boring plots with boring characters - I series doubt I need to say anything more than that (although I will as I have a compulsive desire to drive people away from this drivel), it really sums it up. The only good thing about this book is that it was fairly short, allowing me to quickly move on to something which has at least one memorable aspect to it.

What really killed this book for me were the characters; I can tolerate an average plot if there's engaging characters. It was under this premise that I enjoyed Gossip Girl as the characters created this fun book that was pure indulgence and escapism. In Cum Laude we're immediately introduced to what feels like a dozen characters a minute. I thought to myself that I would, like a lot of books that take this deep end approach, be able to untangle the characters from one another when I got further into the book. The problem was, the characters are of so little substance that I felt no need to actually get to know them. I felt apathetic about what was going on their lives. I know if you've bothered to read this review that you're probably getting tired of the comparison to Gossip Girl but I have to say it, in Gossip Girl the characters arguably often lacked a lot of substance but the books cultivated this reality TV attitude that made me want to know what was going on and what would happen next. I wouldn't say I cared about the characters but I at least cared about the situation they were in.

I recently read Cum Laude by Cecily von Ziegesar. As a avid fan of gossip girl, Ziegesar’s popular book and television series, I thought this would be a good read a well. The first couple chapters went pretty slow, introducing all five main characters and their back stories. There was a definite comparison to gossip girl and Cum Laude. Two girls, a blonde and brunette that always compete for one of the three boy’s attention. I read this book very slowly; it is incredibly boring and predictable.I recently read Cum Laude by Cecily von Ziegesar. As a avid fan of gossip girl, Ziegesar’s popular book and television series, I thought this would be a good read a well. The first couple chapters went pretty slow, introducing all five main characters and their back stories. There was a definite comparison to gossip girl and Cum Laude. Two girls, a blonde and brunette that always compete for one of the three boy’s attention. I read this book very slowly; it is incredibly boring and predictable. There isn't a main conflict or even several little conflicts. It is more a ‘day in the life of” kind of book. The five characters don’t make new friends or talk to anyone else throughout most of the book, which is wouldn't happen in reality. None of the characters know each other or have any thing in common. The characters had no personality either, Tragedy was the most complex and she was barely in the story. The main character Shipley was the ideal “it-girl” tall, long blonde hair and skinny, but she didn't have a complex story. She seemed like the teenage girl that thinks she has so many problems, with her family, friends and herself. But really the only problem she had was whether or not she should wear heels or flats. As I read the reviews, I noticed the same reaction; this is not a highly rated book. It doesn't make sense and is quite boring. I would not recommend this book to anyone. ...more

I wanted to read this book because it was marketed as being an adult novel from the author of Gossip Girl. First of all, I wouldn’t really consider it an adult novel. At the same time, I’m not sure it’s really appropriate for young adults either (a good part of the storyline focuses on sex and drugs). So, I’m not really sure who the targeted audience is supposed to be.

The book is about 5 kids at a small liberal arts college in Maine . I had to check this out from the library two times because II wanted to read this book because it was marketed as being an adult novel from the author of Gossip Girl. First of all, I wouldn’t really consider it an adult novel. At the same time, I’m not sure it’s really appropriate for young adults either (a good part of the storyline focuses on sex and drugs). So, I’m not really sure who the targeted audience is supposed to be.

The book is about 5 kids at a small liberal arts college in Maine . I had to check this out from the library two times because I couldn’t finish it in time the first time. It was very slow to start and I thought about not finishing it (but, it goes against my nature so I stuck with it and read it while I was bored at work :)). I felt like I couldn’t really connect to any of the characters. I didn’t like or even relate to any of them. I also was not a huge fan of the ending, which didn’t even seem like much of an ending to begin with. Most of the action happens at the end of the novel so you’ve got to get pretty far in before much goes on.

The only good thing that came out of the book was that it allowed me to reminisce about my own experience at a liberal arts college....more

Cecily grew up in Manhattan and went to an all-girl's school on the Upper East Side. She resides in Brooklyn with her husband Richard, the Deputy Director of the Public Art Fund, their children, Agnes and Oscar, and their two Cornish Rex cats. Von Ziegesar also owns an Appaloosa horse, Golden Rain. She is dreams of having a 'ranch full of cattle' when retired.